What are Your Razors? And What are the Top-5 ?

Hey all,

I have been into wet shaving for 4 years and have accumulated 18 safety razors so far.

Edwin Jagger - Kelvin DE89 (Zamac, Chrome Plated, Closed Comb)
Dave Ocean - Atlas (Zamac, Open Comb)
GEM - 1912 Travel Pocket
Gillette - American Button Company Empire Old-Type '1908-1913 (Pocket Razor, Brass, Restoration/Rhodium Replating by Razor Emporium)
Gillette - Heritage Inspired (Zamac, Chrome-plated)
Gillette - Old Type '1907 (Brass, Restoration/Gold Replating by Razor Emporium)
Gillette - Red Tip Super Speed (Brass, Restoration/Satin-Nickel Replating by Razor Emporium)
Gillette - Super Speed '1947-1952 (Brass, Restoration/Nickel Replating by Razor Emporium)
Merkur - 1904
Merkur - 45 (Bakelite)
Merkur - Futur (Adjustable)
One Blade - Genesis V2 (Stainless Steel)
Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements - Ascension (Double Open-Comb Stainless Steel, Adjustable)
Plisson/Joris - Odyssey (Brass, Gold Plated, Open Comb)
Ralph Lauren - Safari (Gillette Trac-II)
Razor Emporium - Rex Ambassador (Stainless Steel, Adjustable)
Sterling Soaps - Slant
West Coast Shaving - Midnight Collection 84B (Closed Comb)

*Weird Observation - Although the Gillette ABC razor is my best looking razor, it is the most difficult to shave with and ranks at the bottom of shave quality.

Best Shave Quality - Top 5:
1. Merkur - Futur with a BiC Chrome-Platinum blade
2. Edwin Jagger - Kelvin (DE89) with a Feather HI-Stainless blade
3. One Blade - Genesis V2 with the proprietary Feather blade
4. Dave Ocean - Atlas (No longer in business) with a BiC Chrome-Platinum blade
5. TIE! - Gillette Old-Type 1907 with a Wilkinson Sword blade / Gillette Super Speed 1947-52 with a BiC Chrome Platinum blade

Those are the most reliable, near bullet-proof shavers in my den and the corresponding blades that are absolutely necessary for these to shave at that level for my skin/beard type. This ranking is no knock on the other razors in the den, many of which have spectacular days here and there.

***I have not had the chance to shave with the Plisson/Joris Odyssey razor yet, but it seems to have a very similar head/blade angle to the Dave Ocean razor that clearly copied Plisson's razor style (although they are not identical and have minor differences in handle, weight, screw size and a major difference in materials/craftsmanship).

 

4 years. 18 razors. 18???

What kind of addiction is that? PM me your address so I can send you a care package.

 

Not weird.

Engineering improved greatly over time.

 

Haha. I will eventually try to buy a shavette and then one day a straight when I build a skill at the angles. We'll see. I already tried a straight that someone sent me years ago and it was tough and took enormous patience. I still got a few cuts despite massive effort not to mess up. I've found DE's to be the most fun though.

 

i have been wet shaving for near 4 years and have acquired 70+ vintage gillette sets,mostly british.

my top 5 gillette types at present are:

brit new rfb-3 piece or 2 piece
new sc-nickel or canadian
new/tech hybrid
canadian rocket-(flat plate aristocrat jr)
brit rocket hd/#58/monobloc

honorable mention/close seconds:

brit aristocrat
senator/sheraton/popular
flare tip rocket
flat bottom new
flat bottom tech


subject to change

 

Shake Sharp Mk1.0 always #1

Current 2nd tier faves:
Leaf
Krect Spiral Curve
Fatip Lo Storto
Stahly

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I have more razors than I can tally up; here’s my top 5 performers in no order in 2 groups: vintage and modern.
vintage
1956 Gillette Red Tip Super Speed
1946-47 Gillette Aristocrat
1948-50 Gillette Super Speed
Schick Platinum
Gillette Parat

Modern
Rex Envoy
Razorock Gamechanger .84 SB
PAA SS Ascension DOC
Rockwell 6C
Gillette Heritage

 

As a specific premise that because of a bad chronic dermatitis I am a daily shaver that needs delicate razors and three passes plus touch-ups.
In this way everything is perfect for me.

Over the years I have tried many razors. Hundreds.
Unfortunately I have long understood that the problem is the DE blade.
Designed for the economy, not for performance.
With this, my standard is a frankenrazor which I call PP1489:
• Edwin Jagger DE89 head
• Maggard Razors MR14 handle
The long and light handle, coupled with a back grip, allows excellent angle control.
To date it is the DE razor with the highest level of efficiency that I have used.
Meaning only the result, as lasting and comfortable depth.


I think SE blades are on another level.
My favorites are the Artist Club style.
Specifically, the Kai ProTouch with guard.
With the Colonial Razors The General V1 in aluminum they are perfect for me.
That combo is my absolute quality standard.
Also because with my technique razors to work at their best must be long and light.

The only one that achieved the same results was the Blackland Vector.
But since it costs several times more, I considered it less efficient and therefore sold.

The only one who has passed V1 is the Colonial Razors The General V2.
Unfortunately, aluminum production is not foreseen.
But correcting the imbalance of the handle, I found an excellent result.
Also for this reason, however, the current cost does not make the purchase useful in my situation.


Special mention is for the Gillette Fusion Power Flexball.
Despite being a multi-blade, modern hitech technology with my technique allows exceptional results like my champion.
And with a little maintenance I almost reached 300 uses (and counting!!) with the first cartridge, also making the speech very different from what we normally read.

 

I have tried a number of razors, and have given away any which I did not like. This means that I only have 5. In no particular order....
Karve brass razor
Muhle Rytmo
Post war Tech
1982 British aluminum Tech
1962 Gillette Slim

 

Over the years I've collected about a dozen razors and I definitely have some favorites. My top 5 in no particular order is:
2020 King C Gillette
1967 Gillette Slim adjustable
2016 Edwin Jager DE89
1986 Schick injector adjustable
#5 changes could be the PAA OC Slant when I have a lot of stubble, My Shavette that I won from Bama Samurai when I have let my beard grow out, or my OneBlade when I'm feeling lazy.

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of the ones I've still own or owned.
Rex Amassador
ATT S2 (OC slant)
ATT S1 (tie)
Rockwell 6C (wish I kept it. might get 6s)
Razorock G37

 

You write RazoRock German 37, my brain tells me Merkur 37G.

 

Wow, top 5 is a toughy!

Hmmm, in no perticular order:
Schick I2 Hydro-magic
ER 1907 type Lather Catcher
Auto-Sharp A1
Schick E2 Injector
Schick C3 Repeater

 

I’ve been shaving with D.E. razors for over twenty years. I have three razors.

A RazoRock 37 slant head on a WCS 110 Graham handle. Perfect for a one pass work shave. Feather blade.


A RazoRock SLOC on a Bulldog handle. Use it for weekend ‘Baby butt smooth’ multipass shaves. Treet carbon steel.

A Merkur 33C. My original razor, now used for testing blades I have never used before.

The right razor for the ‘situation’.

 

I started collecting some time in 2017, and stopped buying about two years later before I retired...over 100 DE, SE, injector, and carts. From the humble ball-end Tech to the venerable Toggle (which my son commandeered); here's a little blog on razors that I did during this time. I left Prairie Switch with one, but it was *the* best of the lot: a '40 (or is it '41) Milord, but minus the case. I have used it exclusively for the past 5 months (and I left 300 GSBs behind ). I have that English thin-handled Tech coming this week for a back-up. I have 398 blades, from one tuck of Nacets to almost 50 Sputniks. I *am* lucky enough to have a few blue box 7 o'clocks and Rubies, too. I have limited space, and my situation could change at any minute, so I'm afraid my collecting days are...for now. This is probably half of what I had before retiring...

 

I think I'm burning out on razors. Not so much on discussing, but the ones on my shelf have all begun fading into the background. Can't really say now which I prefer, or if I even do. I know some still perform better than others but the differences are becoming negligible. They're all becoming...just razors. Probably the uncertainty of the recent ct scan results that has me like this.

 

I have over 40 razor rotation and I like variety it seems but the ones that I enjoy reaching for are:

Gillette New long comb - if I want a close shave.
Gem Feather weight 1st generation - nice shave with a 3 pass.
Schick injectors E2 or M- they have tested time with good shaves.
Razorock .84 with a Kai SS blade.
Gem 1912 any variant seems to give a decent shave.

I have other favorites that give me some enjoyment for daily shaving.
Oneblade core- easy shave.
Gem any razor regardless.(I don't think they made anything that is not a enjoyable shave.)
Razorock mission- for a cheap razor it performs well IMO.
Razorock SLOC- very nice easy going shave DFS+ usually
..............................................................................................................................................................

Have some great shaves!

 

Most of my @200ish razors are in storage as I'm preparing for a move.

Here's 5 survivors:

Shake Sharp Mk1
Leaf Razor
Fatip Lo Storto
Tatara Nodachi
Stahly


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very cool Ron..